This disclosure is generally in the field of fuel supply pressure control. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to control systems and methods for reducing gas turbine fuel supply pressure requirements.
A minimum gas fuel supply pressure is required to provide the motive force for the fuel to overcome losses due to strainers, valves, piping and fuel nozzles, and enter the combustion chamber of a gas turbine under all potential operating conditions.
The existing gas fuel control system is based on a fixed gas fuel supply pressure requirement (referred to as P2 pressure requirement) from full speed no load (FSNL) to base load, in some cases with adjustment for ambient temperature conditions. If the gas fuel supply pressure is less than the control system pressure requirement, the gas turbine is inhibited from starting. If the gas fuel supply pressure falls below the control system requirement during operation, the control system initiates a runback to a predetermined low load mode of operation and operator action is then required.
It would therefore be desirable to provide new fuel gas pressure control systems and methods for reducing gas turbine fuel supply pressure requirements.